Geology with Geography with a Year Abroad

Geology with Geography with a Year Abroad is a programme that connects the deep-time perspective of geology with the more human-facing and environmental concerns of physical geography, producing graduates with an unusually comprehensive understanding of how the Earth works as a system. Geology examines the composition, structure and history of the planet, from plate tectonics and mineral formation to geochemical cycles and the geological record of past climates. Geography brings this into dialogue with contemporary environmental processes and human-environment interactions, addressing topics such as soil health, water quality, ecosystems and the social dimensions of resource use and environmental change.

At the University of East Anglia, this four-year full-time programme takes a modern, integrated approach to Earth science that links geology with physical geography and a multitude of surface and environmental processes. You will get out into the field and into the laboratory to apply geological and geographical principles to real-world questions, investigating plate tectonics, natural resources, geochemistry, earthquakes, volcanoes, soil health and water quality in contexts that connect these topics to other disciplines across the environmental sciences. The year abroad enriches your perspective significantly, giving you the opportunity to study Earth systems in a different geographical and institutional environment.

Graduates from Geology with Geography programmes go on to careers in environmental consultancy, the energy and mineral resources sectors, water and environmental management, natural hazard assessment, geological survey and mapping, academic research and teaching. The combination of geological and geographical understanding is particularly valuable for roles in climate science, land use planning, contaminated land assessment and groundwater management. Postgraduate study in geology, geosciences, environmental science or related fields provides a route into more specialist research and professional roles.